• ■S!'/. °'' CONGRESS 



FUR FARlilf 11, 
FOR PROFIT 

With Especial Reference to Skunk Raisin|( 




Price $1.00 

The LAYMON FUR FARM CO.. Spencer. Ind. 



\ . 
4 



LIVE 

MINK 

WANTED 

ALSO MINK PELTS 
GINSENG YELLOWROOT ETC. 



HIGHEST MARKET PRICE 
paid for Al Live Mink and 
Mink fur. Write your dealer for 
quotations, then write us. We 
pay express charges and remit 
same day goods are received. 



WILLIAM WEDDLE 

SPENCER, IND. 



FUR FARMING 
FOR PROFIT 



With Especial Reference 
to Skunk Raising 



By 

H. B. Lavnion 

Proprietor of the Laymon Skunk Farm 



1913 
The Laymon Fur Farm Co. 

Spencer, Indiana 



5^ L3 



Copyrighted 1913 

By 
H. B. LAYMON 



PRESS OF THE EPITOMIST PUB. CO. 
SPENCER. INDIANA 



©CU;!51139 

(to/ 



\ 



CONTENTS. 

page 

Introduction 5 

Frontispiece 8 

Chapter 1 9 

General Character of the Skunk — 
Skunk a Clean Animal — Grading. 

Chapter II 19 

Fur Farming — Supply and Demand — Opinions — A 
Bright Future for Fur Farmers. 

Chapter III 26 

Enclosures — Dens — Food — Care — Breeding. 

Chapter IV 39 

Trapping — Skinning — Shipping — How to Handle 
Skunk without Being Scented — 

Chapter V 51 

Habits of the Skunk — Breeding — Size of Litters — 
Ideas of Trappers and Farmers. 

Chapter VI 58 

Miscellaneous Information — Removing the Scent Sacs 
— Laws Relating to Skunk Raising — Dye Markings 
— How to Ship Live Skunk. 

Chapter VII 72 

Questions and Answers on Many Subjects. 



INTRODUCTION. 

I CAME from a family of hunters and farmers." 
This reminds me of a quaint saying I heard 
whenlwasaboy. We were talking about hogs 
at the time. A young girl overhearing our con- 
versation, remonstrated with us because we ap- 
peared to have some of the habits of hogs wrong. 
We asked her how she knew we were wrong in 
our diagnosis of the hog? And she answered: 

''We'll, I guess I ought to know, I was brought 
up among hogs, lived among them all my life!" 

This is my case exactly, I have been brought 
up among skunk. I have made a study of skunk, 
and I think I know skunk. I know this much 
well: 

Years ago the thought struck me that there 
ought to be money in raising skunk for fur and 
breeding purposes. To prove the right or wrong 
of this, I started to raise skunk. I captured a 
female and her litter, later got a star buck, and 
with this beginning I have succeeded in establish- 
ing one of the largest and most successful skunk 
farms in America, and I am proud of it. 

I do not mean to imply by this that I think 
I know ''it all" about skunk. Far be it from that. 
But what I know has been learned by diligent 
study and the best of all "practical experience." 
My farm was not a success from the start. It 
took a few years for me to learn the "how of 
things," but I am glad to sav that things are 

5 



6 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

looking bright for yours truly. I firmly believe 
a few years more will see me independently rich, 
and from an old piece of land which would be 
practically worthless for any other use. 

My motive for writing this book is to benefit 
my fellow man. Hundreds of people have written 
me for information about skunk. It would be 
impossible for me to courteously answer one- 
tenth the mail I get in a personal way. It struck 
me, inasmuch as there was no book on the market 
devoted to the skunk that by compiling this in- 
formation in readable form I would be accomp- 
lishing a certain amount of good. 

I feel this, too, if I had had the help in the first 
place — the information contained in this book — I 
would be worth twice as much more and saved 
myself years of trouble and much financial loss. 
I was the pioneer, and was blazing the way for 
others to make success. 

To all those who are desirous of trying the 
raising of fur-bearers for profit we say : read this 
book carefully — study it, — and then if you feel 
that you can make it a paying business, make a 
small enclosure and try a half dozen animals. By 
the end of a year or two, you will know whether 
you are going to like it ; whether you can make a 
success of it or not, and will have acquired a lot 
of very necessary knowledge regarding the ani- 
mals, that could not have been obtained in any 
other way. You will know then whether to go 
ahead or not, and if the former, you will also know 
how. 

While the U. S. Government is actively en- 
gaged in raising elk, buffalo, deer and other ani- 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 7 

mals including fur-bearers, few bulletins are 
issued which give any direct valuable information 
on skunk. Government officials (the kid-glove 
kind) stick up their nose at the lowly skunk, and 
without reason. The skunk is a clean animal, 
easily domesticated, and known to be one of the 
most valuable animals to have around the farm. 
Only recently has this been thoroughly demon- 
strated. Such information as could be obtained 
from government sources has been incorporated 
in this book. 

I have had no hesitancy in utilizing the infor- 
mation from other sources also. Chief among 
them has been the Hunter-Trader-Trapper Mag- 
azine published by A. R. Harding Pub. Co., of 
Columbus, Ohio, also his book on **Fur Farming" 
and such catalogues and guides as Andersch 
Bros, and others fur firms issue to their trade. 

I differ with them when experience has taught 
me that my way of raising skunk is easier or 
more profitable, and I agree with them on many 
general principles. I have incorporated in this 
book also the experience of many other farmers 
and trappers. I have found many helpful hints 
in their letters which have been very valuable 
to me. And for what knowledge I have gained 
from them, I hereby acknowledge my indebted- 
ness. *'May they live long and prosper." 

H. B. LAYMON. 

Spencer, Ind., July 10, 1913. 



CHAPTER I 

General Character of The Skunk. 

THE SKUNK is a little understood animal. 
By this we mean, that ordinary people, oth- 
er than naturalists or scientists, little un- 
derstand the habits and value of skunk. By some 
the skunk is classed as a reptile or varmint, and 
on account of its odor, is detested. Other animals 
throw scent, notably the mink and muskrat, of 
course not to the extent that the skunk does. 

It is on account of this scent, that skunks are 
deteated. We have animals on our farm which 
have never thrown a grain. And are yet in their 
wild state. They do not easily become frightened, 
hence have no use for their means of protection. 
That's the only time they use it, and seldom when 
fighting among themselves. 

To make a success out of anything, it is ad- 
mitted one must know the thing. To be a suc- 
cessful farmer one must know what to raise and 
how. So with raising of skunk, one must under- 
stand skunk, just as one understands horses, cows 
sheep or poultry. And skunk, when properly un- 
derstood can be raised in captivity at a great 
profit. 500,000 skins were shipped to london last 
year, besides the skins which were used here in 
domestic manufacture. 

It is surprising to note the change in condi- 
tions, due largely to the enlightenment of the 



10 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

rural population to the benefits of the skunk, also 
to the rapid increase and value of their pelts. 
Many skunk farms are in existence, the owners 
making a business of raising these animals for 
their pelts. While this may be a queer business, 
nevertheless it is perfectly legitimate, and as far 
as known, profitable. A ready sale of the pelts is to 
be had, and the skins from these domesticated 
animals generally bring higher average prices, 
being well handled and killed at a time when 
the fur is at its best. The domestic animal like 
cultivated fruits, are larger and in every way 
more valuable than the wild animal. 

The skunk is found in nearly all the states and 
territories of the Union and climate and geogra- 
phical conditions are responsible for the great 
variation in size and color of its pelage. There 
are very few fur-bearing animals as plentiful, and 
especially in the civilized sections, that bring such 
a handsome income to the farmer as does the 
skunk. As noted, the chief difference in charac- 
ter, besides the size of the animal itself, lies in 
the color of its fur. 

The body is 16 to 22 inches long, its tail from 
root to farthest point of fur, 12 to 16 inches, the 
latter being covered with hair, the color of which 
varies, depending upon the color of the fur on 
the body. For instance ,the fur on the tail of a 
black or short striped skunk is black or nearly all 
black, (first grade) while that of the broad or 
narrow striped skunk is interspersed with black 
and white hairs. While the skin of the animal is 
very valuable, the tail is rarely used, though man- 
ufacturers of late vears have consumed the hair 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT H 

in the manufacture of brushes and similar pur- 
poses. The legs are short and close to the body, 
the paw is naked and the five toes on each foot 
are closely grown together like that of the badger. 
The foot is well adapted to digging, but they dig 
very little in the tame state. The toes are not 
webbed; the head is small, with short, rounded 
ears and rather long, projecting nose, with two 
small piercing eyes. 

The Skunk a Clean Animal. 

The skunk in general appearance is always 
neat and clean, and in walking seemingly takes 
special pride, like the peacock, as when promenad- 
ing, its tail is erect and its back peculiarly curved. 
Very few animals are as harmless as this creature 
and were it not for the peculiar odor which it 
distributes when in danger, it would be more 
hunted and probably eradicated in sections. Its 
principal weapon, as heretofore noted, is a peculi- 
ar secretion and fluid possessing a very disagree- 
able odor. This fluid is of a pale yellow color and 
is discharged by the animal when in danger, in 
thin-like streams and with such accuracy and aim 
as to strike any object within 6 to 12 feet. The 
fluid is secreted in two annal glands from which 
by the contraction of the sub-caudal muscles and 
by uplifting of the tail it is discharged in the 
form as stated above. These sacs are now 
rem.oved with very little trouble by farmers, and 
without endangering the fur or breeding qualities 
of the animal, or ill-effect to the operator. 

The removal of the scent sac has a tendency 
to increase the size of the animal ultimately. We 



12 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

believe, too, that it requires less food to sustain 
life, consequently it is considered a profitable op- 
eration to perform. It is certain that the altered 
animal becomes more easily domesticated. 

Learn to remove the scent sacs and thus avoid 
all complaints of neighbors and any personal in 
convenience. If you learn to do this you can sell 
your striped skunks for pets or curiosities and in 
this way get good prices though the skins would 
be of small value. 

The animal is carnivorous, nocturnal, not en- 
tirely terrestrial, as occasionally he is known to 
climb trees, perhaps not of choice but rather 
compulsion, being forced to this fancied secure 
position by the hunter or his dog. Consequently 
his arboreal, like his amphibious habits, are 
rather undeserved credentials. The theory that 
the animal climbs the trees in search of food and 
birds, is discredited. The animal is beneficial in 
many ways to the farmer, and his eradication 
from any farming community should be prevent- 
ed, and laws prohibiting the wanton destruction 
encouraged. 

The contrast in size of the animal and the im- 
portant variation in the color of its pelage, due 
to climatic and geographical differences, cannot 
be denied. The breeding and inter-breeding of 
the different colored furred species is the prin- 
cipal explanation why the young of a litter are so 
much unlike in color. The color usually domi- 
nates to the black. It is proven that 50% of the 
young of a white female will breed blacks if the 
male is black. To breed stars, the male and fe- 
male should be all black, if possible. 90% of such 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 13 

young will be black, and it is possible to raise to 
maturity 90% of such litters. It is our experience 
that the female at rutting time will cohabit with 
more than one male like a dog or rather like a cat 
which it more generally resembles. 

The predominating color of the fur of all spe- 
cies is black and white with the exception of the 
Texas skunk, which due to a pecuhar soil, is of 
reddish cast. Some of the animals have a clear 
coat of fur, others are all black excepting a small 
white star, but the majority have two stripes, 
some terminating at the center of body, on others 
the stripe continuing from the forehead over the 
body, terminating at the tail. 

This carnivorous and nocturnal animal is un- 
like most every other animal possessing these 
habits. He can be seen in the early morning re- 
turning to his haunts, and once in a while in the 
middle of the day ; at no time is he in a hurry, or 
will he discommode himself by getting out of your 
sight or especially away from your path. His 
mode of locomotion is slow, and rarely will he 
be found away from his haunt a greater distance 
than one or two miles. His abode is usually in 
a hollow log, under some old barn or granary, or 
in a hole on the sunny side of some hill. He enjoys 
a sun bath, probably more than does the bear or 
the badger. His meal is made ud by free con- 
sumption of worms, bugs, grasshoppers, mice, 
birds and eggs. In some sections he is known 
to be quite a vegetarian, consuming as he does, 
roots, berries, vegetables, and fruits. Occasionally 
frequents the hen-roost, not only for eggs, but for 
the hen as well. The young like bread and milk. 



;[4 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

while we feed the old hominy hearts mixed with 
water and milk. 

The animal passes the winter season in a state 
of incomplete hibernation, and at regular inter- 
vals he will arise, come out of his abode and ex- 
pose his body to the sun, and judging from the 
effluvium, empty its distended pouches, but the 
stench thus caused, soon ceases, which is not the 
case when it is spurted under irritation or in 
self-defense. Dr. Coues states "that the animal 
uses this secretion in the relation of its perpetua- 
tion of the species, though overshadowed by its 
exaggeration into a powerfully effective means of 
preservation of the individual, is evidently the 
same as in other species of Mustelidae, each one 
of which has its own emanation to bring the sex- 
es together, not only by simply indicating their 
whereabouts, but by serving as a positive attrac- 
tion. 

In the case of the skunk, it would seem that 
the strong scent has actually tended to result in 
a more gregarious mode of life than is usual in 
this family of mammals ; and it is certain, at any 
rate, that the occupancy by one animal of a per- 
manent winter abode serves to attract others to 
the same retreat. Burrows are sometimes found 
to contain as many as a dozen individuals, not 
members of one family, but various adult animals 
drawn together. One other effect of the posses- 
sion of such unique powers is seen not so much 
in mode of life as in the actual disposition of 
the creature. Its heedless familarity, its temer- 
ity in pushing into places which other animals 
instinctively avoid as dangerous, and its indisposi- 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 15 

tion to seek safety by hasty retreat, are evident 
results of its confidence in the extraordinary 
means of defense with which it is provided. 

In the domesticated state they do not use 
the scent only under extreme agitation. Dogs 
create this excitement, man seldom, even when 
handling them. When held by the tail, they are 
really unable to throw the scent. 

The White Skunk. 

The animal that has a clear, white-furred pelt 
is very sparingly found, in fact so seldom, that 
many consider it a freak of nature and not a 
distinct species. 

Personally we do not find it pays to raise white 
skunk, save as pets, or the females for breeding 
purposes. We dispose of them before they have 
become an expense to us. It is the wise man who 
can judge when to kill and when to keep. 

The Black Skunk. 

The animal that has a black coat of fur is 
found in many states, those of New York, New 
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and 
Eastern Canada, are better furred, and in conse- 
quence command better prices than those coming 
from the central states. The black skunk is also 
found in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, 
Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, in 
fact in every locality excepting in the northwest- 
ern states, also northwestern parts of Canada. 
The animal cohabits with the other species, and 
there is no apparent rule governing the breeding 
and inter-breeding and the probable coloration of 



IQ FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

the offspring. Somewhat disregarding the color 
of the parents, the Htter contains black, white, 
short, narrow and broad striped youngsters. But 
90% will ^'take after" full black parents. If you 
use Star bucks you can reasonably expect Star 
stock. The fur of the black skunk, especially the 
eastern variety, is soft, wavy, and of a deep lus- 
trous black. Those animals that have only a small 
white furred star at the forehead are commer- 
cially called ''black skunk." 

Great care should be taken in selecting the 
male breeders to avoid in-breeding. A skunk ma- 
tures or its fur becomes prime and salable in six 
months. The female brings forth young in a year. 
The life of a skunk is from five to seven years. 

Short Striped Skunk. 

This animal inhabits the same section as the 
black skunk, the only difference between them is 
that the small white star of the former develops 
into prongs or two distinct white-furred stripes, 
starting at the forehead and terminating at or 
about the shoulders or center of body. Quite often 
the forehead is entirely covered with white fur, 
and immediately beginning at the top of head the 
white hair continues in two prongs, each varying 
in width from three-eighths to three-fourths of 
an inch. Should the white stripes continue clear 
across the body and terminate at the nail, such 
skins cannot be classed as short striped but are 
known as long, narrow or broad stripe. 

Short striped skins are second in value, the 
price being about one-third less than that of the 
black skins. The white stripes are of no value to 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 17 

the manufacturer, and for that reason the skin 
that has the greatest amount of black fur is 
worth more and the value lessened by the in- 
crease of the white stripe. The fur of the tail is 
black with intermingled white hairs. The disa- 
greeable odor is removed by the dresser (tanner) 
and by the time the skin reaches the manufac- 
turer, it is cleansed from all impurities and ready 
to be made into garments. 

Narrow Striped Skunk. 

This animal inhabits nearly every state and 
territory of the Union and greater part of Canada, 
and is the true American skunk. His coat of fur 
is black, excepting two white stripes beginning 
at the forehead and terminating at the tail. The 
width of these stripes varies somewhat, depend- 
ing upon the size of the animal, usually three- 
eighths to three-fourths of an inch. There is 
always a goodly portion of black fur between 
these stripes. The white stripes are narrow and 
close together, but widen apart at center of back, 
and again narrowing when close to the root of 
tail. The largest animals of the skunk family 
come under the long or narrow striped species. 

Broad Striped Skunk. 

This animal is found in common with the pre- 
vious species, and its difference is only in the 
width of the white stripe which is wider, and the 
quantity of black fur on the skin is lessened, 
thereby diminishing the value of the skin. There 
is no apparent iron-clad rule, or a dividing line 
between, or just where and when a skin should 



Ig FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

be called broad stripe and not a narrow striped 
skin. This naturally must be left largely to the 
judgment and discretion of the buyer or the man- 
ufacturer, who, in grading, seeks an average more 
than any particular dividing line. The tail is 
covered with hairs with occasionaly interspersed 
black hairs. 

One striped Skunk. 

This animal has a long, horizontal white stripe 
extending from forehead, continuing over the 
body, terminating at root of the tail; the latter 
is covered with white fur and is probably more 
bushy in proportion to its size, than the other 
northwestern species. The skin is of no great 
value. The fur is rather coarse and the skins 
undesirable. 

From the above description it will be noted 
that the value of the pelt lies principally in the 
quantity of black fur ; diminishing by the increase 
of white and increasing by the lessening of the 
white fur. 

It may be of interest to note that skunk fur 
after it is manufactured is not sold as "skunk," 
but is a good substitute for many different kinds 
of fur which has a higher value placed upon it. 

Of late years the white stripes that are cut out 
of the skins are being used in the manufacture of 
spurious tails which are dyed to imitate the natur- 
al tail of mink, marten, etc. At other times these 
white pieces are sold in connection with other 
fur scraps or cuttings to hat manufacturers. On- 
ly those skins that are prime in leather and full 
furred, command good prices. 



CHAPTER II. 

Fur Farming — Supply and Demand. 

FROM the dawn of history in this country the 
fur trade has been an important branch of 
commerce and had much to do with the rapid 
advance of discovery and exploration in the early 
days. But the extensive trapping operations since 
that time have sadly depleted the ranks of all 
species of fur-bearing animals and some of the 
most valuable are rapidly nearing extinction. This 
is especially true of the central and eastern por- 
tions of the United States, and the time is ap- 
proaching when the ever increasing demand for 
furs must be met by some way other than trap- 
ping the wild animals — but how? Fur farming 
appears to offer the only solution to the problem. 

The raising of fur-bearing animals is still in 
its infancy, but many experiments have been 
tried out from time to time, and it is a proven 
fact that if it is undertaken and carried out in 
an intelligent manner, the industry is bound to 
be successful ; and why not ? All of our domestic 
animals and fowls were wild creatures at one time. 

There are practically no new and unexplored 
regions to trap and even in faraway Siberia, 
which we are taught to believe a land of wilder- 
ness and a fine fur-producing country, reports 
say that fur-bearers are becoming scarcer each 
year. The regions which have not yet been ex- 

19 



20 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



plored by the white men, have for many years 
been trapped by the savage inhabitants. Fur 
traders push into all accessible districts, and the 
trappers also, sometimes bring their goods hun- 
dreds of miles in order to trade with the white 
people. South America produces some furs, but 
the catch is not heavy, perhaps because there is 
not much trapping done there. But the furs from 
the more distant regions are, as a rule, ot the 
more valuable kinds, and cannot supply the de- 
mand of the great middle class of people, the 
largest consumers. Such furs cannot take the 
place of those of the muskrat, skunk, raccoon and 
oppossum, for these furs are usually made up 
to imitate the more expensive kinds. But as 
the supply decreases the demand increases at an 
equal rate. ^^ • ^ 

The skunk, mink and muskrat do well m set- 
tled sections. There is always a cash market for 
raw furs and since the discovery of America, 
raw furs have been an important article of com- 
merce. An industry paying the hunter and trap- 
per probably $15,000,000 yearly is one that should 
receive attention. The demand for furs is in- 
creasing as the population of the world is becom- 
ing more and more. Again furs are being put 
to more uses than ever. While the demand for 
furs is increasing, what of the supply? The day, 
perhaps is not far in the distance when the de- 
mand will call for two or three times as many 
furs as today. Where are they to come from, if 
not from fur farming ? 

A well known fur dealer in Minneapolis sizes 
up the situation in a nut-shell : 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 21 

"Under proper conditions, with intelligent care, raising 
fur animals can be made to pay. The raiser starting on 
a small scale and increasing as their knowledge increases. 
Most all successful business is built up by starting small." 

Conda J. Ham, in the Hunter-Trader-Trapper 
Magazine, says: 

"Did you ever stop to seriously think where your furs 
and your fur coats would come from twenty or thirty years 
from now? At the rate fur-bearing animals are being 
killed off at the present time, there would not be fur 
enough thirty years from now to properly clothe the 
nobility of the old world, to say nothing of our American 
women who must have their new furs each season, and 
the others who must have at least one or two sets during a 
lifetime. The fur industry is admittedly fast dying a violent 
death. Some other remedy than those already prescribed 
must be discovered. We still have sections of the country 
where the same wild state of nature exists that could have 
been found three hundred years ago. We still have plenty 
of fur-bearing animals to keep alive their species if proper 
conditions prevailed. Therefore, it would seem that the 
problem to solve is, how can these conditions be best 
secured. 

"Mr. Norman A. Wood, expert taxidermist in the 
University of Michigan's museum, the man most familar 
with the animal life within the state and one of the 
greatest authorities on animal life in the whole North- 
west, declares the fur industry can be saved only through 
the medium of great fur farms. His study of the situation 
has convinced him that the commercial growing of fur is 
coming to be one of the great industries of America. 

"In various parts of the country such farms are to be 
found, and the profit derived from them has been sufficient 
to prove the success of the venture. Skunk farms have 
been started in various parts of the United States within 
the past few years and are proving paying enterprises. 

"It is no vague dream that prompts one to speak of 
fur farming. The signs of the times point that way, indis- 
putably. Every year the price of raw furs bounds up to 
hitherto unknown levels, the demand is constantly in- 
creasing almost as fast as the supply diminishes, and with 



22 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



it having been demonstrated that fur-bearing animals can 
be raised, men are not going to let such chances slip by. 

A. R. Harding, editorially in the same maga- 
zine says, speaking of fur farming : 

"The business surely looks like a "gold mine" at 
present prices of fur and breeding stock. Even should 
prices be reduced by one-half or more the business bids 
to continue very profitable. 

"While scores, perhaps hundreds, will make good 
with the more valuable foxes— black-silver, cross— thou- 
sands will find that profits may not be so great (neither 
is the expense to get started) with the common red tox 
skunk mink, marten, coon, oppossum and muskrat, yet 
the raising of these animals is not apt to influence values. 
The world needs millions of these skins each year, and the 
market is not so limited as with the high priced furs. 
Looks like a great future for the raiser of these animals. 
There is no denying the fact that the supply of wild fur 
bearers is bradually becoming less, not only in America, 
but throughout the entire world, while the demand for 
furs is constantly increasing. " 

Here is a bright future to 'Tur Farming." 
The person who knows something of the habits of 
the animal or animals that they expect to raise, 
will be the successful ones. The same applies to 
fur farming. The farmer who has given attention 
to fur-bearing animals are the ones most apt to 
be successful. A good many attempts were made 
at raising skunks, a number of years ago, most 
of which were failures. Some entered the busi- 
ness on a large scale, knowing nothing of the 
animals, and of course failed; others "penned up" 
a few skunks and as they were not properly cared 
for. failure was the result. 

The advanced price for skunk skins in recent 
years, has caused a revival in their raising. This 



24 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

time, an entirely different class of people are tak- 
ing up the work, and they are going to succeed. 
Why? Because they know something of the ani- 
mal and are going at the business in a calm and 
business-like way. 

People are not investing their all in a busmess 
without realizing the possibility of success or fail- 
ure. More is known of the Skunk today. It is 
not the feared animal that it was yesterday. ^ The 
day is not for distant when it will take its right- 
ful place among furbearers and its hides sold for 
what they really are. There is hardly a more finer 
fur than skunk and it should not be necessary to 
hide its identity under a substitute name. 

The fur farmer, should the market be low for 
certain animals, can keep over. Nine times in ten, 
this is the time to raise as many as possible, for 
by another season, that particular article is likely 
to be in demand. To illustrate : In the winter of 
1908-09, No. 1 skunks from northern and eastern 
sections were worth $2.00, while the following 
winter the same skins were bringing just twice 
this figure, if the skunk raisers who sold off 
their stock at low prices because the prospect was 
not bright, had gone ahead they would have had 
a heavy crop of fur to market at high prices by 
January, 1910. 

Some reports from those who have experi- 
mented in a small way at raising fur animals is 
to the effect that they do not fur properly. This 
is true in regard to skunk, when kept in a box 
or a small enclosure for weeks and fed largely 
on meat. They must have contact with earth and 
be allowed to forage for food. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 25' 

Skunk breed only once a year, unless the first 
litter are killed or die, when another is sometimes 
born, and it might be said, such is frequently the 
case. 

One thing is important, and that is, get the 
animals accustomed to their keeper as soon as 
possible. The old will be wild for some time, 
but the young soon become tame. Skunk are eas- 
ily tamed, even children have safely handled them. 

A man who has been in the fur farming indus- 
try for years, in response to the inquiry, ''Will the 
business pay?" says: ''Yes, it will pay the right 
man big dividends on the capital invested." The 
right man is one who has natural aptitude for 
this sort of work, and who is "cut out" for fur 
farming. If he has a liking for this sort of work, 
he will study the nature and requirements of the 
animals and attend carefully to their every want. 

Fur farming as an industry is only in its in- 
fancy, in fact, not begun. The future looks bright 
to those who engage in the business in a business 
way. To those who expect to make a fortune at 
the business in a year or two, we predict failure, 
but to all who are willing to go at the industry 
intelligently, building a substantial enclosure, 
paying the same careful attention to the feed and 
care of their fur animals that they would to other 
"stock," to get the best results, far more than 
ordinary profits should result. 

Under ordinary circumstances skunk can be 
raised to maturity at a cost of about 25c. The 
cheapest skin on the market will bring at least 
a dollar, from that to live skunk at $15. Average 
profit will be over 400%. 



CHAPTER III. 

Enclosures, Dens, Food and Care. 

THE enclosure for a fur farm is one of the 
most important things for a beginner to 
consider, for if it is not properly construct- 
ed, his labor is in vain. We have heard of parties 
going to a great expense to procure the animals 
and construct a fence to hold them, and because 
the fence was not built on right lines, the ani- 
mals escaped. This was unnecessary had the nett- 
ing or galvanized iron fencing extended about 18 
inches below the surface. Skunk seldom dig over 
a foot into the ground. 

The proper size of an enclosure depends on the 
number and kinds of animals you intend to start 
with. For 10 skunks or less and their offspring 
the first year we suggest an enclosure measuring 
3 rods wide by 4 rods long or 12 square rods. This 
will even answer for a much larger number, but 
we do not believe in crowding. For 20 skunks 
and the first vear's young the enclosure should 
measure about 4 rods in width by 5 in length. 

You can successfully raise a hundred skunk on 
a single acre of ground. 

After you have decided on this business the 
first thing is to find the proper location and make 
a suitable enclosure. There should be a spring 
on, or a small stream crossing the ground to be 
inclosed, but at the same time the ground must 

26 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 27 

not be wet; in fact, it should be of rather dry 
nature, so that there will not be too much damp- 
ness in the dens. That is the picture of an ideal 
skunkery. 

But running water is not absolutely necessary 
so long as the animals are furnished clear water 
for drinking purposes. There should be banks 
of earth for the animals to den in and the ground 
should have a gradual slope so that it will drain 
readily. If it is of a sandy nature it will be all 
the better. Some who have tried skunk farming 
have located the yards on a shore of a small lake 
or pond and have included a portion of the pond 
in the enclosure. This is a good idea and it will 
not be necessary to extend the fence very deep in- 
to the water, as the skunk is not a water animal 
and will not dive under ; however, where the fence 
crosses a stream of running water the fence 
should reach to the bed of the stream as the wa- 
ter will fall considerably during dry weather. 
Where running water is not to be had a basin 
of water should be provided for bathing purposes. 
They bathe about once a week. This is a habit 
little known by the amatuer fur farmer. 

The enclosures should be large as possible. 
When the animals are inclosed in small yards or 
pens they become infested with fleas,^ ticks, etc., 
and they do not do well. By sprinkling the ani- 
mals with poultry powder usually used to destroy 
lice, and allowing the animal to den in soft soil 
these paracites can be easily eradicated. Such 
small enclosures will answer for a short time but 
as soon as possible they should be placed in a large 
roomy yard. 



28 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

To enclose a certain amount of ground with 
the smallest number of rods of fencing possible, 
the plat or ground to be enclosed should be in 
a square. While the cost of enclosing an oblong 
piece of ground would be a few dollars more than 
if square, this should not stand in the way if the 
oblong piece of ground would make a better home 
for your fur-bearing animals. If one only desires 
to experiment with a few animals and has the ma- 
terial on hand, he may make a fence of boards, 
but it should not be depended on for long. Where 
stones are set up edgwise or cement used, it is 
rather expensive and as galvanized wire lasts well 
either in the ground, where not exposed to the air, 
or being galvanized, it stands the elements well, 
it seems to meet the requirements of the fur farm- 
er for fencing or enclosure purposes. There should 
be some trees, or at least shade, no matter what 
animals you are experimenting with. 

For fencing material, galvanized wire netting 
of one-inch mesh is generally used for the breeding 
yards, and 1 1/2-inch for the outside fence, as the 
young animals will escape through a two-inch 
mesh. The outside fence should be seven feet in 
height. Under ordinary conditions the skunk 
would not escape over a four-foot fence, but there 
is danger in winter from drifting snow, and dogs 
and other animals must be kept out at all times ; 
therefore, the fence should be of the height men- 
tioned and it must be turned in at the top or 
a sheet of tin placed along the edge to prevent the 
animals from climbing out. 

Some skunk raisers simply place flat stones on 
top of the ground at the foot of the fence to pre- 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



29 



vent the animals from digging out, and some say 
that one of the most satisfactory ways is to place 
small mesh wire netting flat on the ground at the 
foot of the fence, inside, of course, and cover 




Fence of poultry netting, covered with sheet tin, show- 
ing foundation. 



lightly with dirt. They claim that this is a very 
good way to prevent skunks from escaping by dig- 
ging, but on the whole we think that the method 
of sinking the netting or galvanized iron about 18 
inches below the surface is best. 

The persons who expect to make "fur farming" 
a business, can begin in a small way and same 
need not interfere with other work to a great 
extent. Year after year, as thev learn more of 



30 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



the business, they can enlarge the grounds. Farm- 
ers and others who from experience know much 
of the animals, will no doubht be the most suc- 
cessful from the start. The ox, horse and sheep 




Fence of Netting, Showing Support and turned in top. 



were wild at one time, but they have become do- 
mesticated. Why not the same with the fur-bear- 
ers ? This is exactly what should be done. Skunks 
especially, are very easily domesticated. When 
the raiser learns this and furnishes an enclosure 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 31 

with dens and food similar to that which they get 
when in their wild state, they will be on the road 
to success. 

On the Laymon farm we have been experi- 
menting with galvanized iron or tin fencing, and 
we prefer it to wire netting. The animals appear 
more contented when they cannot see other and 
wider fields. This is especially true during the 
breeding season. This fencing is a better protec- 
tion against dogs and prowling animals also on 
the outside. 

In the case of galvanized iron fencing, we find 
that the fence need not be over five feet, with 3 or 
4 strands of barbed wire to keep out dogs and 
prowling animals. The animals do not see out, nor 
prowlers in and hence the skunk are less liable 
to become excitable. 

The interior of the enclosure should be divid- 
ed into compartments, using netting or galvan- 
ized tin for the fences but they need not be so 
high. The largest compartment would be for the 
females and there should be a smaller one for the 
males, also one for the young animals after they 
have become large enough to take care of them- 
selves. Some also make small yards in which to 
place the females, two or three together, after 
the young animals are born. The most of those 
who have tried skunk breeding, however, have 
not found this necessary, but there should always 
be a separate enclosure for the males. When the 
number of animals increases it will be necessary 
to have a few small breeding yards, large enough 
for ten or twelve animals. One need not, however, 
make such an elaborate enclosure in the start but 




(0 

c 
o 
O 

a> 
o> 

c 
re 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 33 

can enlarge it as needed, adding more compart- 
ments. 

In each compartment a number of dens should 
be made by digging a trench and covering after- 
wards. While the animals will dig dens if neces- 
sary, they prefer even while in a wild state to use 
dens already made. Boxes, barrels or pens with 
board floors should not be used. Some of the suc- 
cessful ones claim that this has a tendency to 
cause a thick pelt and thin fur and say that it is 
absolutely necessary that they have natural dens 
in the ground. The dens should be made quite 
deep so that there will be no danger from frost in 
winter and in all cases there should be plenty of 
straw or leaves for bedding purposes. Where the 
land is flat it seems wise to throw up a few mounds 
of earth so that the animal may dig into the soil. 
A hole can be started in a bank with a post-hole 
auger and the animal will finish it, seldom bur- 
rowing more than a foot further into the earth. 

No matter what style of den is used it should 
be so constructed that there is no danger of it 
getting damp. Banks of earth of a kind which 
do not absorb and retain water make good places 
in which to dig dens, and it is easy to incline the 
entrance so that water from rain or melting snow 
cannot drain into the passage. The entrance 
should be made large enough so that the animals 
can pass in and out easily, for if the passage 
is small there is danger that the fur will be in- 
jured. There should also be plenty of dens, so 
that if one becomes damp or infested with vermin,^ 
the occupants can take up their quarters else- 
where. 



34 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

On the Laymon farm we have several dif- 
ferent kinds. The breeding pens are built par- 
te keep out the rain. Aftei' we have once ascer- 
tained that the young have arrived we do not dis- 
turb the female for several days, save to see that 
she has plenty to eat and drink. Females are 
quite devoted to her young. The entrance is of 
wood and in some cases tiling. The openmg should 
be large to avoid rubbing the fur. 

The summer dens are of natural earth formed 
or dug into earth, built around straw or wood, 
with tile entrance. 

The winter dens are large, built like a well 
with a cave-like entrance. These things are nec- 
essary only where skunk are raised on a large 
scale. As far as possible, we do not allow the fur 
of the animal to come in contact with rough sur- 
faces other than earth. We only allow one fe- 
male In a brood pen at one time, and use galvan- 
ized iron fencing between the pens. Females will 
steal one anothers young when given the chance 
causing the young animals to starve to death, 
and we don't give them the chance. 

The skunks are perfectly cleanly about the 
dens and always deposit their droppings in one 
corner, or outside. They seldom discharge their 
scent and unless he were to see it, one might pass 
close by a skunk "ranch" and never know it. 

Feeding. 

Skunks should have plenty of food especially 
during the summer and they should be fed at reg- 
ular intervals, giving just enough for a meal each 
time. It is advisable to give a mixed diet, partly 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 35 

animal and partly vegetable. They will eat almost 
all kinds of flesh and fish, table scraps, fruits, 
especially if very ripe, melons, sweet potatoes, 
berries, etc. One of the most satisfactory foods 
is bread and milk, but it is considered too expens- 
ive by some people. However, it should be given 
occasionally. They will eat carrion, but such food 
should not be given, for it is likely to cause dis- 
ease. In the fall especially, when they are laying 
on fat for winter, they should have plenty of food. 
In winter they do not require so much. It is a lack 
of meat food that causes them to eat their young 
and one should feed well during the spring and 
autumn. 

Skunks feed largely on insects, grubs, etc., 
and if they have range enough will supply them- 
selves with the greater portion. They are fond 
of eggs, either fresh or spoiled, and should be 
^iven a feed of this kind occasionally if possible. 
Thev also have a fondness for poultry. 

The matter of providing sufficient food is not 
as difficult as it would appear at first glance. If 
the farm is located near a large town, butchers, 
hotel and restaurant keepers will generally save 
table scraps, stale bread, etc., on request, if one 
will make a regular habit of calling for it. This is 
why it seems desirable to establish a skunkery 
close to or in a city. Even in the country the 
neighbors will help out. The fai^mers will be only 
too glad to have you take the dead stock, poultry, 
etc., thus saving them the time and labor of oth- 
erwise disposing of it. 

As before stated, the Laymon Skunkery is an 
ideal farm. We have a large range of gully land 



3g FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

through which runs a natural spring, and is cov- 
ered with a dense underbrush. The skunk run 
wild here, male and female breeders after the reg- 
ular rutting season is over. We feed them only 
once a day, at evening, and that mostly hominy 
hearts mixed with water and milk. Just now, 
June 23rd, they are as fat as prime porkers and 
in excellent condition. We are experimenting on 
cutting out all meat for at least five days each 
week. We maintain that 25c will cover the ex- 
pense of raising a skunk to maturity. They are 
wild for mulberries and "roasting ears." Enjoy 
ripe apples and roots. Relish clover, and like cats 
get crazy over fish, and there is no doubt about 
them liking ''cat meat," and the flesh of rabbits, 
fresh or tainted. 

Breeding. 

The mating season comes late in February 
and in March and the young animals make their 
appearance in May, the period of gestation being 
about nine weeks. The young are bom hairless 
or furless, and remain blind from 4 to 5 weeks. 
The mother will wean her young at from 7 to 9 
weeks of age. Care should be taken to note the 
symptoms, as when the young refuse to be wean- 
ed, the mother is likely to injure them. They are 
fully matured in six months, and their hides be- 
come prime and ready for market. They breed 
when a year old and live about 7 years. 

After weaning the young should be allowed to 
run wild in a pen where there are other young 
animals. But not with the old males until such 
a time as they are able to protect themselves. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 37 

One male animal will easily serve eight or ten 
females and he should be left in their company 
a number of days. After that he should be re- 
moved and to make certain, another male should 
be installed for a few days. Two males should 
never be allowed in an inclosed pen with the fe- 
males at one time or they will fight and one or 
both may be seriously injured. They seem to 
know enough to keep out of each other's way on 
the range. 

We belieye, however, that to allow the males 
and females to run wild (if the range is large 
enough) has a tendency to create larger litters. 
We believe that the females cohabit with more 
than one male at rutting time and that additional 
young are created at each service. We know that 
our litters are larger in number than is ordinarily 
supposed, ranging from six to ten, whereas when 
served by one as above, the litters averaged from 
four to eight. 

Great care should be exercised in the selection 
of the males for breeding stock. Only the large 
and healthy animals of good color should be used 
and all others should be killed and their skins 
marketed, or the live altered animals sold for 
pets, while they are in good condition. Never al- 
low a breeder to die of old age. Sell the pelts 
early and use young stock for the purpose. 

While the animals do not always breed strictly 
true to color, the white markings may be greatly 
reduced and the general stock improved by se- 
lected breeding. One should, each year secure 
fresh breeding stock from other localities and 
related animals should not be allowed to breed 



38 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



together or in a few years the result will be 
disastrous. One can not be too careful ni this 
respect for it is very important. 

After the mating season the female should 
be separated, placed in small enclosures and they 
should be well fed or otherwise they may kill 
and eat the young. They should be allowed to re- 
main in these small enclosures until the young 
animals are large enough to take care of them- 
selves, when they should be separated and the 
females may. again be placed in the large enclo- 
sure. 

From the commencement of the breeding sea- 
son until late in the fall the animals require a 
larger amount of food than during the winter and 
especially during the breeding season and while 
the mother is still nursing the young they will 
require plenty of nourishing food. They require 
fresh drinking water at all times and the en- 
closures should be so arranged that each compart- 
ment will be supplied. 

As before stated one should use care in se- 
lecting animals for breeding purposes as it is in 
this way that the quality of the fur will be im- 
proved and the busines made to be a profitable 
one. If you wish to increase the number of ani- 
mals do not be tempted for the sake of the higher 
prices realized for the finer skins to kill off ani- 
mals that should be kept for breeding. 

On the whole, one should study the habits of 
the animals on every opportunity and attend to 
their wants. If one will give the proper attention 
to the animals and take an interest in them there 
is no reason whv he should not succeed. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Trapping, Skinning, Shipping. 

THE SKUNK belongs to the weasel family, 
and is nocturnal in its habits, but unlike 
other fur-bearing animals of the weasel fam- 
ily, lacks alertness. It is exceedingly slow in loco- 
motion compared with other animals, and natur- 
ally falls an easy prey to the average hunter or 
trapper. 

The only drawback and reason why this ani- 
mal was not extensively hunted or trapped and 
the skin marketed twenty or thirty years ago, 
was the danger of being sprayed with their pe- 
culiar essence. The fur is fine and eagerly sought 
after, especially the black furred skins, which 
bring high prices. As many as 500,000 skunk 
skins are marketed in a year. 

The skins are generally divided into four or 
five distinct grades, and each grade is then assort- 
ed accordingly to quality and size. Skunks should 
not be killed for the pelt out of season, but this 
is true of all animals, where the furred skin has 
a market value. The open season for Minnesota, 
Dakotas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana and northern 
sections, is from November 1st to February 15th, 
varying somewhat upon the weather. South or 
middle states the season opens somewhat earlier, 
and naturally closes on approach of warm w^ea- 
ther. The fur of the skunk is the first of all fur 

39 



40 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

bearing animals to become prime, and is also first 
to suffer the loss of its lustre and primeness. 

How to Kill Without Being Scented. 

There are many ways and methods in common 
use for capturing and killing this animal, but pro- 
bably the best is the use of steel traps, though a 
long stick is equally as good, providing the one 
who holds it comprehends his business and uses 
same advantageously. The author has known two 
lads to kill and skin forty skunks in a day. Of 
course, great care must be exercised to kill the 
animal without receiving a discharge of the per- 
fume. A six to eight foot long stick, one and a 
half to two inches in diameter is the proper wea- 
pon and instrument to use in killing skunks. A 
smart blow on the back about one to two inches 
beyond the tail will readily fell the animal. This 
blow will paralyze and benumb the muscles and 
nerves employed by the animal to distribute its 
obnoxious fluid. An additional blow is necessary, 
and the latter should be given on top of the head. 

steel Traps. 

Steel traps are used with good effect. They 
should be set just before the hole and be covered 
with loose bits of dirt, leaves or other vegetation. 
Some prefer to use bait, the latter can be a beef 
head, a chicken, or, in fact, any chunk of old meat 
or carcass. Drag same in various ways and drop 
in a conspicuous place or in center of a nest of 
traps. The trap should be attached to a clog, or 
loose bushes, never attach two traps to the same 
article. Skunks often spring traps set for mink, 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



41 



wolf and other animals, but seldom devour or 
even touch a victim should they come upon same 
while making their nocturnal visits. 

A Box Trap. 

The usual bait for skunk is birds, bits of meat, 
pieces of chicken and rabbit, whether old or fresh. 
A good method and trap is to bury a large dry- 




Box Trap for Catching small Animals Alive. 

good box; see that the top is even with the sur- 
face of the earth, place light brushes, hay or 
straw across the opening, upon which sprinkle a 
little loose earth. Some prefer to make an artifi- 
cial opening in top of box after same is buried, in- 
to which the skunk will descend, rather fall in, but 
cannot get out. Some strong smelling bait should 
be placed in the box, which is to attract the ani- 
mal from a distance. As many as eight skunks 
have been caught during one night by the use of 
this style of box trap. This seems to prove that 
skunk do not make a noise when caught. 



42 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



A Barrel Trap. 

Another method is the so-called barrel trap. 
A sugar, vinegar or whisky barrel will answer. 
Remove the head and securely fasten the bait on 
inside of bottom of barrel. Place the barrel in a 
slanting position, open part toward the earth, and 




*v*^^<<-' 



Barrel Trap. If Set on the Slope of a Hill, Will Capture 
More Than one Animal. 

arrange by balancing the barrel in such a way 
that when the skunk enters by crawling up in a 
barrel, being attracted there by the bait, the bar- 
rel with the skunk will tip over and Mr. Skunk 
fall on his nose inside of the barrel and be a 
captive. This is a good and cheap trap and the 
victim cannot get out, though only one animal can 
be caught at one time. Some trappers dig the 
skunk out, others dig until they reach the cavity 
in which they usually have their nests and are 
found huddled up together in a bunch. If found 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 4g 

in such a position it is an easy matter to suffocate 
them, thus obliterating all possible chances of the 
animals distributing their obnoxious perfume. All 
that is necessary after one sees the animals i:r 
to cover them up with soft dirt, which should 
be lightly tamped every two inches of filling and 
continued until about fifteen to eighteen inches is 
securely tamped. In about fifteen to twenty min- 
utes the trapper can uncover the den by removing 
the earth, and he will find the animals suffocated. 
After all, it is poor policy to suffocate whole dens 
of skunk. They should be caught alive. 

It is unnecessary, but we recommend for the 
trapper, (new beginners) or hunters, to remove 
the perfume containers (glands) before skinning 
as one is likely to cut into the bags and distri- 
bute the perfume, but if removed all danger of 
coming in contact with the liquid weapon is of the 
past. 

Skunks, when located in holes, can be smoked 
out or suffocated, either with common smoke or 
vapors arising from burning sulphur. To locate 
the distance of digging, insert a long switch or 
telegraph wire into the hole. The author has 
personally seen trappers dig down for a short dis- 
tance and then reach after the animals with their 
hands, and sure enough they succeed in bringing 
the animals, one by one, from their den. Strange 
as it seems no perfume was discharged. This is 
probably due to the fact that the other trapper 
assisted by knocking them senseless immediately 
after their heads appeared through the hole. A 
piece of %-inch round iron, about twelve inches 
in length, was used. Trappers relate and claim 




o 
>» 

m 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 45 

that it is a positive fact that the skunk will re- 
frain from biting or discharging perfume while 
in their holes. 

Deadfalls, figure four and other home-made 
traps can be employed, though the animal must 
be skinned promptly, and often the fur becomes 
damaged from the instrument itself or by long 
delay and exposure to the weather. There are 
many other methods and ways to capture and kill 
this animal, but by the foregoing any one contem- 
plating to trap or hunt will have the essential 
knowledge. 

The rifle can be used whenever possible, but the 
use of the shotgun is detrimental to the skin, and 
its use should be prevented when the Question of 
its fur is taken into consideration. The animal 
should not be entirely eradicated from any par- 
ticular locality, as the skunk is more beneficial 
than harmful to the farms, and again, the killing 
of skunks out of season is entirely absurd and 
uncalled for, the animal being harmless. The 
meat while not generally consumed, can be use'^, 
though when fried, it is dry and tough, resem- 
bling bull meat in that respect. The fat is used 
for medicinal purposes. Skunk oil is highly rec- 
ommended for sore throat, croup, etc. 

Killing, Skinning and Stretching. 

When ''killing time" comes, care should be tak- 
en to not frighten the animals left for breeding 
purposes more than is absolutely necessary. All 
animals that are tame enough should be driven in- 
to a separate enclosure and out of sight of the 
others before being killed. Perhaps as good a 



46 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

method of killing as any is to use a good club, 
striking on the hips just over the region of the 
scent sac. Skunk should be killed without the en- 
closure becoming strongly scented. A pole several 
feet long with a strong loop on the end can be 
slipped over their tails. The animal can now be 
lifted clear off the ground and carried wherever 
the killing is desired. Drowning is not recom- 
mended, as it takes the fur hours to dry and is 
therefore extra work. Some even claim that the 
water spoils the luster of the fur to a certain 
extent. 

Skunk do not leave their dens during severe 
weather, so that it is advisable to begin selecting 
those that are to be killed days and even weeks 
in advance of the time decided upon. These 
should be placed in an enclosure or pen by them- 
selves so that the remaining ones will not be dis- 
turbed. Animals selected need not be operated 
upon, though the scent sac should be removed 
before skinning. 

The animals that are to be kept for breeding 
purposes need not be fed so heavily during the 
winter months or after those that were intended 
for market have been killed. Of course in the 
spring after the females have young, they must 
be fed heavily. 

Some raisers as soon as the young are weaned, 
select those that are to be killed the coming win- 
ter, keeping them separate from the breeding 
stock so that they can be fed properly. That is 
a great saving of food, as those for market should 
be fed much more than the breeders at this sea- 
son — say during the months of September, Octo- 
ber and November. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 47 

Two Methods of Skinning. 

There are two distinct methods of skinning 
fur-bearing animals, and skins are known as 
''cased" or ''open" skins, according to the method 
or removing the pelt. Open skins are those re- 
moved by ripping the skin down the belly and 
are stretched out flat. Cased skins are those drawn 
off the body from the tail to the head, by ripping 
the skin on the backs of the hind legs. 

The skunk skins should be cased. Cut off the 
front feet with a knife or hatchet, cut around the 
hind feet and rip down the back of the hind legs, 
using care when cutting and skinning around the 
scent glands. Split the tail about one-third of 
its length on the under side, and skin it that far 
by using the knife; then strip it from the bone 
by means of a split stick. Grasp the stick with 
your right hand, palm up, and with the tail be- 
tween the second and third fingers, tail pointing 
up; hold the carcass by placing the left hand on 
the hind quarters ; close your right hand and give 
a steady pull upwards and the skin will be 
stripped from the tail quickly and easily. Now 
draw the skin downward, off the body, to the 
shoulders. Here two thin muscles will insist on 
hanging fast to the skin; put your finger under 
them and tear them loose. You can now get hold 
of the front legs, and strip the skin from them. 
Strip the skin on down to the head, then feel for 
the base of the ears and cut them off close to the 
head. Skin on to the eyes; here you must use 
the knife again, but use care not to enlarge the 
eye aperture. Cut the skin loose about the mouth 
and the end of the nose, but don't cut the nose off 



48 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

the skin. The pelt now resembles a small, narrow 
sack, with fur side in. Before you lay it down, 
turn it with the fur side out and thus keep the 
skin clean until you are ready to flesh and stretch 
it. 

Skins Should be Fleshed. 

The skin of any animal should be fleshed and 
stretched as soon as possible after it is removed 
from the carcass. If the weather is somewhat 
warm and the skin remains uncleaned and un- 
stretched a day or two, it may start to taint. 

For fleshing cased skins I use two boards, one 
about three inches wide and three feet long for 
small skins, and the other five inches wide and 
four feet long for larger ones. These fleshing 
boards must be perfectly smooth and flat. They 
should not be beveled towards the edge like a 
stretching board, but should have the edges slight- 
ly rounded. 

Before fleshing a cased skin be sure that there 
are no burrs or other foreign substances in the 
fur, for such would cause you to cut the skin, 
then draw the pelt on the board, fur side in. Now 
with the base of the board resting on the floor 
and the nose against your chest, shove the fat 
and flesh from the skin with the knife or hatchet, 
from the head to the tail. The instrument should 
be held at an angle of about 40 degrees. Don't try 
to flesh on the edge of the board or you will in- 
jure the skin. Turn the skin occasionally until 
you are all the way around and the pelt is per- 
fectly clean of flesh and fat. The thin sheet of 
muscle found on the back of the skunk should 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 49 

not be removed, but the loose rolls behind the 
shoulders should be removed down to a point 
where it appears to be firmly attached to the skin. 
Don't scrape away at a skin of any kind until 
nothing remains but the scarf skin and the fur. 
There is such a thing as overdoing it, and one 
should remember that he is only to remove the 
loose parts, which are not a part of the skin. 
Skunk, oppossum, and muskrats are the skins 
which are the most likely to be overdone, and the 
skunk in particular. 

stretching Important. 

After the skins are fleshed they are ready for 
stretching. I advise the use of the three-piece 
board. To use the three-piece board, turn the 
skin with the flesh side out and insert the two 
main pieces of the board, the flat edges together; 
draw the skin dov/n to its full extent and fasten 
the hind legs with two nails to each. Be sure 
that the skin is on the board squarely, the back 
on one side, and the belly on the other, then insert 
the wedge between the two pieces of the board. 
Put the wedge in firmly, but don't drive it in with 
a hammer, for there is such a thing as over- 
stretching a skin. Then draw the back down and 
fasten it with two nails near the root of the tail. 
Then turn the board over, and stretch the other 
side, fastening it also with two nails. Now fasten 
all the edges by placing the nails II/2 or 2 inches 
apart, keeping the legs one-half on each side of 
the board. See that the nose of the skin does not 
slip over the end of the board and fasten the skin 
of the lower jaw with two nails. The tail of the 



50 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

skunk must be stretched out flat as far as it is 
split. Now take your jacknife and make a little 
incision in the tip of the tail of all animals ex- 
cept the otter. This is to allow the air to circu- 
late and let the moisture drain out. If the wea- 
ther is very warm, put a little salt in the tail to 
keep it from tainting. The loss of the tail will 
detract heavily from the value of the skin, and in 
case the bone has broken off, as happens some- 
times, the tail should be opened on the under side 
and the bone removed. After the tail is attended 
to, loop a string around the nails in the lower jaw 
and hang the pelt in a cool, dry, airy place to cure. 
Be sure that it swings free, and does not rest 
against the other skins. 

A few remarks about packing furs for ship- 
ment may not come amiss. Never ship furs until 
they are perfectly dry for they may taint in ship- 
ping. It is not necessary, however, for the tails 
to be perfectly dry. Make the skins up into a 
nice, neat package and sew it in a burlap. Don't 
roll skins ; pack them flat. It is best to wrap them 
in paper before placing them in the package. Al- 
ways put a card, bearing your name and address, 
inside of the package to help identify them, in 
case the outside tag gets torn off". Put two ship- 
ping tags on each package and fill them out with 
your name and address in the place reserved for 
it. When you give them into the hands of the 
express company, give their true value, as near 
as you can, and be sure that the agent marks 
the valuation on the receipt. Then in case they 
are lost, you can hold the express company re- 
sponsible. 



CHAPTER V. 

Habits of The Skunk. 

SKUNKS are found in all parts of the United 
States, with the exception of the mountain- 
ous district of the West. They occur again 
to the west of the mountain ranges and also are 
found in most parts of Southern Canada. They 
are found in the prairie country and in the hilly 
and mountainous districts of the East, and are 
at home in the 'Vilds" as well as in the thickly 
settled districts, however, they seem to thrive 
best in the farming sections and especially if the 
country is of a hilly nature. Their dens are lo- 
cated along the gravelly hillsides, quite often un- 
der the roots of trees and stumps but in the prai- 
rie they den along the washouts and creek banks. 
In thickly settled sections they frequently make 
their home under houses and outbuildings, show- 
ing practically no fear of man and often appropri- 
ate the den of the woodchuck. 

They are nocturnal animals and as a rule do 
not wander far from the den but in the fall they 
travel farther, looking for a good den in which 
to spend the winter. Again, in early spring dur- 
ing the mating season, the males travel consider- 
ably. While they are not a hibernating animal, 
they stay in their dens during cold weather, also 
when the snow is loose and deep, but are sure to 
be out on the first nice night. 

51 



52 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

The mating season of this animal is in Feb- 
ruary and early March and the young are born 
mostly in May, although some will be born in 
April. There are usually from four to ten young 
in a litter but occasionally there will be a larger 
number. 

The value of a skunk skin depends mainly on 
its size and markings, they being graded by the 
buyers entirely by the amount of black fur, pro- 
viding, of course, that the skin is prime and well 
handled. 

Being slow moving animals, they can not catch 
the more active animals and birds as do the 
other members of the weasel family and their 
food consists mainly of mice, insects and grubs, 
also of the eggs and young of such birds as nest 
on the ground. They are very fond of poultry 
and frequently visit the poultry houses, killing 
the young birds. They also feed on carrion. 
When they can get it they will eat almost any 
kind of animal food. Even in the wild state the 
skunk is not, strictly speaking, a carnivorous ani- 
mal as they will eat and in fact are fond of sweet 
corn when in a milky state, also sweet potatoes, 
melons and wild fruits. It appears that if the 
male skunk is not separated from the female at 
breeding time, the female will kill the male, pre- 
sumably to protect her young. And on the other 
hand the male will kill and eat the young if given 
the chance. 

Robert B. Phillips relates the following in 
H-T-T: 

"I wish to relate an experience with the lowly skunk. 
I found some skunk signs near an old cave large enough 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 53 

for a small boy to creep in. I set one trap near the main 
entrance and another one about fifteen feet away both 
fastened to clogs. (I wish to state before I go farther 
that the cave has a sickening sulphur smell and in the 
winter time, no matter how deep the snow is elsewhere, 
you will not find any for about three feet around the 
mouth of the cave.) Well I visited the traps the next 
morning and upon arriving at the cave I saw two skunks 
about twenty feet from the hole. One was eating at the 
hind quarters of the other. Of course I thought they were 
both in my traps, but when about forty feet awci.y the vic- 
torious skunk saw me and started climbing an embank- 
ment below the cave and I noticed he did not have a toe 
pincher clinging to him. The skunk wcs only two feet from 
his dwelling when I made a quick shot with a twenty two 
rifle. Of course I missed so I knew he was gone for the 
time being. I went to the other one and found him breath- 
ing his last. He had his entire tail, scent glands and the 
meat all eaten off the bones at the junction of the hind 
legs and the base of the backbone. In fact the hole in the 
body was so large that a full sized baseball could be put 
into the abdomen and the skunk still had a little life in 
him yet. Neither of them had thrown their scent. 

"Two days later I caught the other one, the largest 
male skunk I ever caught. When I went there he was 
leisurely eating a rabbit he had evidently caught. This 
happened in the beginning of December and both were 
male skunks. 

"I know of another case where skunks turned Canni- 
balistic. This happened to some young trappers who were 
in the habit of catching the skunks in September and 
early October and keeping them until they were prime. 
They had eight or nine in an old spring wagon. One 
morning he went out to see them and found tliey had killed 
and eaten one of their own number. There are a few of 
those fellows around here. They are afraid another fellow 
might catch one or two of them. 

"One time I caught a skunk and I got quite near it 
kept on digging in the leaves and every once in a while 
it would unearth a bug or insect which it would promptly 
devour. Some people have an idea that a skunk does 
nothing but steal chickens. This he does sometimes, but 
"he makes up for that by catching cut worms and other 



54 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

insects which spoil thousands of dollars worth of crops 
annually. I have opened their stomachs already and 
found centipedes and angle worms and lots of beetles 
in them. Skunk also loves mice." 

Breeding. 

Earl Williamson says : 

"I see in the H-T-T where persons have found skunk 
dens with nearly all female skunks. My experience has 
been that in every den there is one male and tw^o or 
more females; twenty-two being the highest I have ever 
heard of being taken from one den. Tho females and male 
den up early while the rest travel around in nice weather 
and stay in any hole in bad weather." 

Says a Nebraska trapper: "I have seen from 2 to 12 
skunk in one den, but never more than 1 male with a den 
of females. The males of a litter seem to be forced to 
leave, only one remaining. The males so treated den 
themselves individually at a distance from the herd of 
females, returning in the spring. I have never known 
them to use their odor in a fight among themselves, 
neither have I known them to make a noise other than 
patting on the ground with their front feet. 

J. M. Bray writes of Skunk Handling : 
"Norris Johnson, John K. Hallman and myself went 
into the ring and started the performance by taking a pair 
each of live skunks by the tails and holding them while 
the pictures were taken. Some of the onlookers thought 
that was wonderful the way we handled those skunks. 
Now, right here is where I want to say that you can do it 
just as well as I can, if it is necessary for you to handle 
them. Go to them with a quiet, but firm step; take a good 
hold on their tails and you can carry them anywhere you 
want to. I have had a number of inquiries whether my 
skunks were odorless. I will say they are not and it is 
not necessary to make them odorless. If you use them 
gently you can have them around for a year and no one 
would know that you had them. Some ask, will black 
skunks breed all black, or will some breed back into 
liwer grades? It is a known fact that all animals will 
breed back sometimes, but by having black you will breed 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 55 

black. But I find by having black bucks and by having 
short stripe females (and no threes or fours) your breed 
will be from fifty to seventy-five per cent black, or No. 1. 

"Some have asked me what to feed them. Skunks will 
eat anything that a cat or dog will eat, also various fruits, 
such as apples, pears, persimmons, sweet corn or field 
corn (so long as the grains are soft). Where you have a 
number you will have to figure on the feed. Skim milk 
and stale bread, butchers' scraps, meat from dead animals, 
dead chickens or anything of that nature, but it will be 
necessary to vary their feed occasionally. 

"If you start with a pair or so for an experiment you 
do not need such a large enclosure, but if you want to 
make a business of it, then I would advise you not to 
be afraid to spend a few dollars on your pen and the 
larger the lot the larger the pen. Don't crowd them or 
you will be the loser." 

Skunk have no means of defense other than 
their scent, but this is sufficient in many cases 
and the majority of people will give them a wide 
berth. This scent is only used when alarmed or 
frightened and in captivity there is no trouble 
whatever from this source as they soon learn that 
there is no occasion for alarm and become quite 
tame. 

CULLED FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 

"While trapping this last season I caught a skunk each 
night for three nights in succession at the same den 
and the three brought $12.00 which I thought was pretty 
good for three skunks out of the same den. I have caught 
as high as eight skunks in one day." — Lee Guthrie. 

"Skunks can be raised as easily as house cats, providing 
you have an enclosure where they cannot dig out or climb 
over. For every hundred old skunks, you should have an 
acre of ground enclosed. 

"I experimented for three years on a small scale. The 
first year I had one male and three females. They brought 
forth fifteen young. One died, plus four old ones, leaving 



56 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

eighteen — eleven females and seven males. Five of the 
young graded as No. 2, balance star black. 

"The second year I started with twelve females and two 
males, bringing forth forty-three young, plus fourteen old 
ones, total fifty-seven, less three, which died, leaving a bal- 
ance of fifty-four. I took out seventeen males and five No. 
2 females, leaving a balance of thirty-two black ones." — 
I. M. Bray. 

"When cold weather comes the female dens up and with 
very few exceptions does not stir until mating season 
which is in February. Trappers will tell you that fully 
90 per cent of the November, December and January 
catch are males. After February 10, when the running 
season is on the catch is largely females. At this season 
a skunk tracked to its den and dug out has often resulted 
in as many as eight or ten. These are mostly females." — 
H-T-T. 

"In regard to the habits of skunk in the Elkhorn 
River District, Nebraska, will say they usually den in old 
badger holes, cleaning them out in the fall, sometimes 
making a cavity in them 2x3 feet by 18 inches high, pre- 
ferring hilltops, bluffs and slough banks as situations. 
Sometimes they dig dens themselves, seldom going over 
1 foot below the surface. The cavity is bedded 6 inches 
deep and the hole about half filled with dry grass." — Ne- 
braskan. 

"Farm readers, please don't kill the skunk during the 
summer when his hide is worthless, because he got a 
chicken or two, but wait and take his hide in the winter. 
It will more than pay for the chicken if you really must rid 
your back woods of him, why not take him with box 
traps and start a fur farm?" — Peerless Bum. 

"John M. McCrary asks if we have ever heard a skunk 
make a noise. I can answer that by saying positively yes. 
I have two male skunks together in a pen and we have 
been awakened every night about 10 o'clock by their hide- 
ous squeals. They seem to be very congenial during the 
daytime," says Harold Pugh. 

Probably the sound you think so hideous is sweet music 
to the skunks. However, it may be their war cry. If 
you would watch them and study their habits, especially 
at night, you might make some valuable contributions to 
our knowledge of skunk habits. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 57 

"Why don't all of you fellows start a fur farm? It will 
be the most paying business in the country pretty soon." — 
Albert C. Hancock. 

"The natural habits of the skunk is to live in holes in 
the ground, rocks, trees, stumps, etc. Their food consists 
of mice, birds, bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, bees, wasps, 
yellow jackets, angle worms, seeds, berries, ground roots 
and barks." — Bureau of Agriculture. 

Beyond all doubt the skunk has been given 
more consideration by raisers of fur-bearers than 
any other animal, with the exception of the fox. 
There are many who have tried raising these ani- 
mals with more or less success and where the ex- 
perimenters have used good judgment and have 
given the subject all of the attention it deserves, 
they have been reasonably successful. Most of 
these people have started in on a small scale, hav- 
ing perhaps only a dozen or two of skunks to start 
with; in fact nowhere has the business been car- 
ried on as extensively as some newspaper articles 
would lead one to believe; the majority of these 
parties having at the most only two or three hun- 
dred animals. 

It is the smaller experimenters, in other words 
those who have begun on a small scale, who have 
been most successful. They are for the most part 
farmers who had even before venturing into the 
business a fair knowledge of the nature and habits 
of the skunk and therefore were more qualified 
for making the business a successful one. Farm- 
ers naturally take an interest in all nature and 
are most likely to give the proper amount of at- 
tention to the animals, also learn their habits 
readily and act accordingly and these qualities are 
absolutely necessary for the successful raising of 
all fur-bearing animals. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Miscellaneous Information. 

THE most successful stock breeders are those 
who make a special study of their animals 
and take a great interest in them and those 
who do not are almost certain to fail and really 
deserve failure. If so much care is necessary in 
breeding domestic animals, how much more im- 
portant the care in handling the wild creatures, 
knowing so little of them as the average man does. 
But even handicapped by lack of knowledge the 
■experimenters have been fairly successful from 
the start if they were right men for the business. 
Without exception they all report that the ani- 
mals breed well in captivity and are easily kept; 
in a short time becoming quite tame and losing 
their fear of man. 

The skunk is an animal which is despised and 
feared by manv people because if its readiness 
to make use of its powerful scent, the only means 
of defense with which nature has provided it, 
but it is only when frightened that it uses this 
scent and once they have become tame and learn 
that the will not be harmed they are practically 
harmless. We will say, however, to those who 
are afraid of the scent, do not attempt to raise 
skunks, but devote your time to some other call- 
ing for which you are more fitted. But if you 
want to make clean money, raise skunk. 

58 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 59 

Removing the Scent Sacs. 

It is true that the scent glands may be re- 
moved from the young animals and we can see 
no reason why this should have any effect on 
their breeding. 

The operation is easily performed and if done 
when the skunks are very young, about the time 
they first open their eyes, they are seldom harmed 
by it. The operator should provide himself with 
an old bag, and seated on a low bench with the 
bag between his knees should place the animal in 
the bag, leaving only the hind quarters uncovered. 
With a small, sharp knife make a 14 or %-inch 
incision over the gland, and with an awl lift up 
on the gland, which at that age will be about the 
size of a cranberry, at the same time pressing 
down gently on the surrounding tissue with the 
fiat side of the knife. The gland will lift up 
readily. Then holding it with the awl, cut it 
through the center, allowing the remaining half 
to return to place. The reason the entire gland 
is not removed is that it is firmly united to the 
rectum and the animal is likely to be seriously 
injured if one attempts to remove the entire 
gland. All of the scent, and only half of the gland 
is necessary. Following is a more detail descrip- 
tion of the operation of removing the scent sac : 

Description of The Scent Glands of The Skunk. 

The annal glands which are possessed also by 
other members of the weasel family are developed 
in the skunk to such a wonderful degree as to 
constitute an eflective means of defense. They are 
not related in any way to the genito-urinary sys- 




I 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT Ql 

tern either in location or function. They are the 
same in both sexec. 

The scent fluid which is the special secretion 
of these glands is contained in two sacs located 
beneath the skin, one on each side of the vent. 
Each sac is embedded in a powerful, gizzard-like, 
muscular envelope the contraction of which dis- 
charges the scent fluid. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show 
general location and form. 

Within the rectum just beyond the sphincter 
muscle which ordinarily keeps the vent closed are 
two papillae from which the scent is discharged. 
Each papilla is connected with one of the scent 
sacs by a discharge duct. 

Ordinarily the discharge papillae are not vis- 
ible but when the skunk discharges the scent 
fluid the tail is raised and doubled close along the 
back, the vent is relaxed and turned outward to 
such an extent that the pappillae becomes extern- 
al and from them the scent is discharged and 
directed with remarkable accuracy. 

The skunk takes great care not to get any of 
the scent on its tail or fur and the slightly skunky 
odor which fur garments sometimes have is usual- 
ly the result of carelessness in killing or skinning 
the animal. To kill without scent the backbone 
should be broken by a quick blow or the skunk 
should be drowned. , 

When held by the tail with head hanging down 
and with tail and backbone in a straight line the 
skunk cannot control the muscles which evolve 
the rectum and discharge the scent. Care must 
be taken that the skunk does not twist or climb 
upward. It should be held low to keep its interest 



62 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



centered on the ground which it will strive to 
reach. 

Directions for Removing the Scent Sacs From Live Skunks 
Without the Escape of Any of the Scent Fluid. 

This operation is simple and may be readily learned 
by anyone who will follow these instructions carefully. 
No anaesthetic is needed. 

1. The beginner should dress in old clothes or over- 
alls and as a precaution should wear goggles to protect 
the eyes in case of accident. An old hat or a paper sack 
worn as a cap will protect the hair. With these safe- 
guards the learner feels perfectly as ease and therefore 
the chance of accident is much lessened while acquiring 
proficincy. 




FIG. 1, X-RAY OF SCENT SYSTEM. 

2. A heavy palnk supported on two wooden buckets 
makes a good operating table. Straddling this plank the 
operator and his assistant sit facing each other. 

3. The proper instruments are as follows: 
1 nickel plated scalpel (knife). 

1 nickel plated tenaculum (hook). 

1 nickel plated sound probe (pfobe). 

1 pair nickel plated special extracting forceps. 

1 pair nickel plated automatic clamping forceps. 

2 pair goggles (worn only by beginners as safeguard. 

4. Several pieces of clean white cloth about three 
inches square should be provided. 

5. The instruments should be boiled about ten minutes 
in clear water to insure cleanliness. During the operation 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



63 



they should be kept in a saucer containing a five per cent 
solution of carbolic acid which may be placed on a box 
within easy reach of the operator's right hand. 

6. The operator first takes his seat and spreads a 
gunny-sack or burlap across the plank just in front of him. 

7. The assistant then brings the skunk carrying it by 
the tail with his right hand. His left hand should grasp 
the nape of the neck to help keep the head down for the 
back-bone and tail must at all times be kept in a straight 
line. 

8. The assistant now, by means of his hold on the 
nape of the neck brings the skunk into a horizontal posi- 
tion (keeping the backbone and tail in a straight line) 



POSITION OF AUTOMATIC 
fORC^PS CLAMPING DUCT, 




FIG. 2, SECTIONAL VIEW OF SCENT SYSTEM. 



A — Scent Sac 

B — Muscular Envelope 

C — Discharge Duct 

D — Discharge Papilla 

E— Vent 

F — Wall of Rectum 

G — Cut to Sever Duct 



H — Original Incision 

I — Rectum 

K — Sphincter Muscle 

Encircling Vent 
L — Scent Sac Pushing 

Through Incision 



and lays it belly downward on the gunny-sack with head 
toward the operator. 

9. The operator wraps the gunny-sack snugly about ihe 
skunk while the assistant releases his hold on the nape 
of the neck. 

IQ. The assistant now immediately places the tore- 



64 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

finger of his left hand with light pressure over the vent, 
while the operator proceeds to turn the skunk on its 
back keeping the gunny-sack wrapped firmly about the 
animal. 

11. Now only the tail and butt of the skunk are exposed 
to view. The gunny-sack covers all four feet, and head so 
there can be no scratching or biting. 

12. The operator brings his knees together over the 
plank and thereby holds the skunk. This enables him to 
have both hands free 

13. The operator now relieves the assistant b} placing 
the fore-finger of his own left hand over the vent. With 
the thumb of the some hand he locates the scent g^and 
just to the right of the vent. The gland is easily recog- 
nized as feeling hard and round like a marble beneath the 
skin abreast of the vent, neither forward nor backward 
from the vent. 

14. Having the thumb and fore-finger about an inch 
and a quarter apart the operator now squeezes the gland 
tight enough to draw the skin firmly over it. His right 
hand is free. 

15. With a piece of cloth dipped in the carbolic solu- 
tion he moistens the fur and skin held between his thumb 
and finger. 

16. With the scalpel, starting at least three-eights of 
an inch from the vent so as not to injure the sphincter 
muscle which encircles the vent, the operator makes an 
incision through the skin about five-eighths of an inch 
long directly over the center of the scent gland and in a 
straight line with the vent, as shown at H in Fig. 1. 

17. The incision is now carefully deepened until the 
firm, gizzard-like envelope in which the sac lies is reached. 
The beginner is likely to mistake this firm, muscular en- 
velope for the sac itself because the envelope is lighter 
in color than the tissues previously cut. 

18. He now proceeds more gradually to cut through 
the muscular envelope as shown at H in Fig. 2, taking light 
strokes with the scalpel and cutting only a slight depth 
each time. 

19. If the muscular envelope cannot be held firmly 
enough by the pressure of thumb and finger so the knife 
will cut well the muscle may be hooked with the tenacul- 
um and thus held by the assistant while the operator cuts. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 65 

20. Soon a small white bead appears in the bottom of 
the incision as shown at L in Fig. 2. There is no mis- 
taking this as it is the white sac itself pushing through a 
very small opening which has been made through the 
envelope. 

21. This opening is now carefully increased by turning 
the dull side of the scalpel toward the protruding sac and 
cutting away from it, first on one side and then on the 
other. 

22. The sac keeps pushing outward more and more until 
it is about the size of a pea. The cutting is then stopped. 

23. Now by means of the extracting forceps the sac 
is gradually lifted by raising it a little on one side and 
then on the other. The object is to work the sac through 
the small opening without tearing it by too violent a pull 
and without lacerating it by gripping too hard with the 
forceps. The proper way is to grasp lightly and pull 
gently here and there at its base. 

24. When half the sac has been worked through the 
opening the sac suddenly pops up out of the gizzard-like 
envelope. 

25. The sac is now lifted carefully by the extracting 
forceps to see that it is all clear and attached only by 
the discharge duct. 

26. If any slight muscular tissue is found clinging to 
the sac it may be torn away with the sound or tenaculum 
or carefully cut with the scalpel. 

27. The duct, which alone holds the sac, is now clamped 
in the automatic forceps as near the sac as feasible as 
shown in Fig. 3. 

28. The assistant now holds these forceps and thus sup- 
ports the sac so the operator can see the duct clearly. 

29. The operator then carefully examines the duct pre- 
paratory to cutting it. He must be very sure not to cut 
it too close to the rectum or he will cut a round hole in 
the rectal wall because even a slight pull on the duct draws 
the discharge pappilla outward and brings with it the 
wall of the rectum wrapped about the papilla so as to look 
like a continuation of the duct. See C, Figs 1, 2, 3. 

30. By feeling carefully with the sound or the dull side 
of the scalpel the end of the papilla nearest the sac is 
readily discerned by its firmness or hardness. 



66 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 



31. The duct is now severed with the scalpel at a point 
a little way from the papilla as shown at G in Fig. 3. 

32. The sac is now held free in the clamping forceps 
and not a particle of the scent fluid has escaped. 

33. The operator then proceeds in the same manner 
to locate and remove the second sac. 







FIG. 3, SAC COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN. 



A — Scent Sac 
B — Muscular Envelope 
C — Discharge Duct 
D — Discharge Papilla 
E — Vent (Rectum) 



F — Wall of Rectum 

G — Cut to Sever Duct 

H — Incision to Expose Sac 

I — Rectum 

J— Tail 



34. The incisions should be wiped out with a piece of 
cloth with carbolic solution and never need any further 
attention. In a few days not even the scars can be found. 

35. The operation is performed most easily when the 
animal is not too old or fat. Any time from one-third 
to two-thirds growth is a good age for this work. 

36. With a little practice the complete operation of re- 
moving both scent sacs should not take over five minutes 
or skunks may be handled at rate of ten or twelve per 
hour. 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT QJ 

The removing of the scent sac has increased 
the value of No. Four skunk. Many are sold as 
pets, and others used for advertising purposes. 
We do not go to the trouble of removing the 
sac on animals we know we are going to kill soon. 
There is no danger of scenting when the skunk 
is carried suspended by the tail. 

Those who have failed in skunk raising were 
for the most part people who knew nothing re- 
garding the habits of the animal and its care 
when in captivity. They were men with capital, 
who began on a large scale expecting to make a 
fortune in a short time, but in this they were 
mistaken, for many of them lost all that they in- 
vested. These parties have had trouble from the 
older animals killing and eating the young, also 
depradations of owls, but mainly from the first 
reason. It is our opinion that this cannibalistic 
tendency is caused by improper feeding, as those 
parties who have used care in that respect have 
had no trouble whatever. 

To those who are thinking of embarking in the 
business of skunk farming, we would say — start 
on a small scale with only a small number of 
animals, say two dozen females and six males. 
Give them every possible attention and study 
them under all conditions. Do not expect to make 
a fortune in a short time. 

Laws Affecting Fur Farming. 

One of the most frequent questions that we 
are called upon to answer is "Will the laws of this 
state allow of keeping fur-bearing animals in cap- 
tivity?" This question has caused considerable 



^8 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

trouble, for in states where fur-bearers are pro- 
tected a part of the year, it is usually considered 
unlawful to have the live animals in possession 
during closed season, but not always so. 

Only one state, namely New York, has laws 
making it a misdemeanor to have protected fur- 
bearing animals in possession during closed sea- 
son. In that state it surely would be unlawful 
to raise skunks, for the law, after giving the 
open season on these animals says: *They shall 
not be possessed or killed at any other time." It 
is our opinion that the fur-farmer would not get 
into any trouble with the law, in any state other 
than New York, if he would kill the captive ani- 
mals only during the open season for the said 
animals, since the game laws of no other state 
say that you may not have the animals in pos- 
session. Still there are fur farms in the state 
of New York. 

You are obliged to comply with rules and 
regulations of the Conservation Commission 
of New York. You should write to this 
commission at Albany, New York, and get 
their instructions and permission. Fur farming 
laws and game laws covering this subject 
are confused and unsatisfactory. Fur farmers 
are likely to find that much depends on the dis- 
position of local game protectors, and should get 
in touch with them and with the state authori- 
ties, especially a state like New York. 

Dye Markings to Denote Sex — Toe Clipping to Denote Age. 

We have installed what we consider a very 
handy system of skunk labeling on our farm. For 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT ^9 

instance we mark the male skunk with a red mark 
perpendicularly across the white markings in the 
head. If he is "altered," this mark becomes a 
cross. With the female it is blue mark — if "al- 
tered," the mark becomes a cross. To denote the 
age we simply clip a claw each year at a certain 
time. The undipped animal is less than a year 
old. We seldom keep them over five years as 
breeders. Usually sell the pelts during the fourth 
year. The system seems to work out very satis- 
factory. 

A Simple Fur Press. 

Take a box with a bottom the size you wish 
the bottom of your bale of furs to be and turn it 
bottom side up on the floor near the wall. Then 
spread a piece of burlap over it large enough to 
hang over the edges a little all the way around. 
Then lay on a piece of heavy brown paper about 
the size of the burlap. Then lay on your furs in 
a flat, square pile, the same shape as the top of the 
box. It is a good plan to brush the hair all out 
straight and smooth as you lay them on. Lay 
them on until you have them thick enough so that 
when pressed down they will be as thick as you 
want your bale. Then lay on another piece of 
paper and burlap about the size of the ones on the 
bottom. 

Then lay some short pieces of board crosswise 
under your lever. Then nail a cleat to the wall 
the same distance from the floor that the top of 
your bale will be when pressed. Then take a piece 
of good solid board or anything handy that may 
be used as a lever and lay across the top of the 



70 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

bale, catching one end under the cleat on the waU. 
and pry it down and weight it or have some one 
hold it for you while you fold the edges of the 
paper together smoothly and the burlap in the 
same way, folding the corners in neatly. Now 
you can sew these edges together with some good 
stout cord and release your lever, tie on your ship- 
ping tags and you will have a neat secure bundle^ 
all ready for shipment. The bundle may be 
strengthened by putting a good stout cord around 
it lengthwise and crosswise twice. This makes 
samething to get hold of when handling it." — L. 
Dewey. 

Live Skunks Can be Shipped by Express. 

Skunk skins or live skunk will not be carried 
by parcels post. Live skunk in the past have been 
transported by the express companies usually at 
regular merchandise rates, and the occasional 
shipment of these animals when well caged and 
protected did not arouse any great comment. 

Owing to damage incurred, on April 1, 1913, 
the express companies took concerted action and 
passed a joint and official amendment with the 
concurrence of the Interstate Commerce Commis- 
sion, reading as follows: "SKUNKS— Refuse.'^ 
This made it impossible to ship live skunks by 
express after that date. There was naturally a 
protest to the express companies by skunk breed- 
ers, and by those accustomed to shipping live 
skunks. The express companies finally agreed, 
however, to accept for shipment skunks from 
which the oval glands had been removed. The rul- 
ing on skunks was therefore with the approval of 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 71 

the Interstate Commerce Commission changed to 
read, effective May 20, 1913, as follows : ''Skunks 
- — Refuse, unless scent sacs are removed." 

All the express companies concur in this rul- 
ing, even the Canadian Companies. This means 
that shipments can be made between all points in 
the United States or Canada. The removal of 
the scent sacs is easiest at the age of five weeks, 
although it can be done at any time. It does not 
seem to injure the skunks in any way or to in- 
terfere with their breeding. 

In shipping skunks from the United States to 
Canada there is no duty, but, in shipping from 
Canada to the United States the duty is 20% of 
the invoice price. 

At the time of shipment, write a letter to the 
fur company, that you are shipping to, advising 
them of the shipment, and telling how you are 
sending the furs, and just how many and what 
Icind of furs you are sending. If you follow these 
instructions, you will seldom have any cause for 
•complaint. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Questions and Answers. 

AS we are asked certain questions so often we 
are pleased to give below answers to those 
most frequently received : 

"What is The Best Way For Me to Start Rais- 
ing Skunks for Fur?" Start with a few and in- 
crease the number as you can care for them. Dig 
out or capture a couple of litters this spring. Mate 
the males of one litter with the females of the 
other litter. There are usually eight to ten youngs 
in a litter. The old skunks mate about March 1st 
and the young are born about May 1st. Never 
inbreed ; that is, do not mate related animals. Furs 
are becoming scarcer and prices are continually 
advancing. Those who start early in this indus- 
try will make the most money. 

"How Can I Breed For Black Skunks?" Each 
year save your largest and blackest skunks to 
breed from. Market the skins of all the rest when 
prime. Be always on the lookout for blacker spe- 
cimens, especially males. You can mate one black 
male to four or five females and even if the fe- 
males are not entirely black there will be a good 
percentage of black among the young. 

"What Should I Feed Skunks?" Skunks in 
confinement will eat meat of any kind, bread, 
milk, whether sweet or sour, many sweet fruits, 
green corn and some other vegetables. Table 

72 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 73 

leavings from hotels, waste from slaughter-hous- 
es, dead farm stock or dead chickens are all eaten 
readily and take the place of the beetles, grubs 
and mice which the skunk lives on when free. 
Do not give decayed food. Supply fresh water 
regularly. 

"I Live in Town; Can I keep Skunks Without 
The Scent Disturbing My Neighbors?" Yes. You 
can remove the scent sacs from your animals. 
This is very easy to do and the skunks do not 
mind it at all. They do not lose a meal. After the 
scent sacs are removed they can never scent again. 
Your neighbors will not know you are raising 
skunks unless you tell them. 

"How Long Does it Take to Remove The Scent 
Sacs?" With a little practice you can remove the 
scent sacs and make a skunk forever scentless in 
four or five minutes, or at the rate of 75 to 100 
skunks per day. 

"Does Any of The Scent Fluid Escape When 
Removing The Scent Sacs?" Not with our meth- 
od. With proper instruments you can remove 
the scent sacs completely without spilling a drop 
of the scent fluid. 

"How Can a Skunk Be Tamed?" The skunk is 
naturally gentle and not much afraid of people. 
When the scent sacs have been removed from 
a young skunk it will be found at once quite tame 
and may be carried about in your arms like a 
kitten. If it is handled frequently it will grow up 
very tame, will come when called and will eat 
from the hand . 

"Are The Scent Sacs The Same in Both Sex- 
es?" Yes, they are the same in both sexes. They 



74 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

open into the rectum and are not related in any 
way to the reproductive or urinary systems. The 
scent fluid is not the urine as many people im- 
agine. 

"What Do You Pay For Black Skunks?" We 
pay from $5 to $15 each for grade AAA according 
to time of year, locality and size. The scent sacs 
must be removed. We pay express charges on all 
.skunks which we buy. If you have any choice 
specimens you wish to sell write us full descrip- 
tion and we will gladly make you quotation. We 
want 500 skunk now. 

"What is The Best Age For Removing The 
Scent Sacs?" This work can be done at any age 
easily unless the skunk is very fat. We strongly 
recommend that you begin on young skunks in 
the spring, any time after the eyes are open. The 
young skunks are easily weaned. They readily 
take milk or bread and milk and do not need the 
mother. Do not let them run with old skunk. 

"What Kind of Fencing Do I Need For 
Skunks?" Poultry netting 2 to 3 feet in the 
ground and 6 feet above ground makes the cheap- 
est fence. To prevent climbing out make at the 
top an over-hang of netting 12 or 18 inches wide 
or place a strio of tin about 18 inches wide on the 
inside of the fence near the top to make it smooth 
and slippery. The netting should be lV2-inch 
mesh for the main yard (for adults) and 1-inch 
mesh for the breeding pens. The best fencing is 
made from galvanized tin or galvanized iron, in 
our opinion. Read chanted on "Enclosures." 

How do you grade Skunk? Personally I think 
the eastern assortment best ; which is as follows : 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 75 

''Eastern Assortment. The average size^ 
ordinary color of fur, prime or unprime pelt is 
considered, then graded to No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 or 
No. 4 grade. On skunk for illustration : the short 
shoulder stripe is graded as^No. 1 when prime and 
full size, the object of this* assortment is as few 
grades as possible, prices quoted will not permit 
of as high quotations as firms quoting Western 
Assortment, but will figure equally as much if not 
more, in dollars and cents." 

The Western Assortment is as follows : 

"Western Assortment. Each pelt is graded to 
its individual value, first color, then size, prime- 
ness, etc., as high as thirty grades are used; 
skunk for instance is graded for black, short nar- 
row and broad, then as to size and shade and col- 
or, etc., each commanding a different value. A 
firm using this assortment can quote most any 
price if they desire and have their goods just as 
cheap, if not cheaper, than those using eastern 
assortment only." 

"Where can I sell skunk grease and what does 
it sell at?" There is a small demand for animal 
oils and grease, but the markets shift from point 
to point. You will have to get in touch with 
these markets through drug stores and doctors 
who know addresses of chemists and dealers in 
drugs. There are many by-products of the trap 
line which trappers should study, to see if they 
could not work them into commercial lines. Ani- 
mal oils are one of these by-products. I think 
that skunk oil, under a fancy name, scented with 
a little musk or perfume, would find ready sale 
for chapped hands, sunburn, etc. These oils are 



76 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

usually wasted now;. There is an opening for a 
dealer in animal oils if he knows the users. 

"When is the best time to trap Skunk?" In 
cold weather, when fur-bearers den up and hiber- 
nate, trappers smoke out more animals in one 
day than they can take in traps in a month; be- 
sides, they get prime fur worth the most money. 
Still we do not advocate this method. They should 
be captured alive for breeding purposes. 

"What do you consider a good scent for skunk." 
Anise oil, as a rule, is best for skunks. Apples 
are good skunk bait and meats also are good. 

'*Can you tell me the best method of removing 
skunks from their dens?" It depends on the den. 
Dig 'emouts, who use shovels, or dynamite, or 
crowbars, destroy the dens. There are bellows 
and smoke blowers for smoking out the occupants 
of dens, and the makers would tell you the best 
ways. However, as a sporting and financial pro- 
position, you would better get your skunks by 
straight trapping or snaring, instead of killing 
off whole families as you would do rading dens. 
When you track a skunk to its hole, use the smok- 
er, but don't hog the fur. Leave breeding stock 
for another year. 

"Is it advisable to flesh and scrape skunk hides 
down to white skin before hanging up to dry. Can 
you tell me why dealers do not want fur hides 
salted, say, salted slightly, and if any, what de- 
triment it is to them?" The clean skin is best. 
All fat and flesh should be removed, care being 
taken not to break into the skin, nor should the 
skin be "worked" or drawn too much, in the pro- 
cess. Of course, skins may be cleaned on the 



FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 77 

boards. The salt dries the skin and hardens it, 
making it brittle and likely to crack. Its action 
on the skin is not neutralized, as in the tanning 
processes by other chemicals. Even a little salt 
changes the skin, absorbing the moisture and 
changing the chemical constituents of the hide. 
The best way to preserve fur skins — salt is simp- 
ly to prevent decay — is to clean the skins care- 
fully and stretch on frames or boards, and hang 
them in a cool, dry, sheltered place where rodents 
and insects cannot get them. Of course, pelts 
should not be left too long on the stretchers — a 
few days — and too much care cannot be taken of 
them. 

"Does it spoil fur keeping it through the sum- 
mer if kept moth proof and in a cool place?" 
Not if it is properly dried and protected from 
moths. Some of my friends keep their late catch- 
es of fur in perfectly tight paper baks, with to- 
bacco, holding them over for the early winter or 
before-the-London-sales prices. A big slump in 
the fur market is often met this way on certain 
kinds of fur by trappers, but the fur must be pro- 
perly dried and carefully stored away from in- 
sects, mice, etc. 

"Will it do to breed to the same male continual- 
ly?" We do not advise it. Young stock from for- 
eign pens should be constantly added to improve 
the grade. In breeding should be avoided. 

"How can live Skunks be shipped?" If the 
scent sacs have been removed you can ship a 
skunk by express in a box with wire netting over 
the opening. If the distance is great, supply 
plenty of dog biscuit or dry bread and a dish for 



78 FUR FARMING FOR PROFIT 

milk. Mark on box, 'Tlease give milk and water." 
If the weather is cold make a nest of straw in one 
end of box. 

"Can I make any money by removing the scent 
sacs from Skunks?" Yes, you should be able to 
sell the first skunk you operate on, even if striped, 
for at least $5 to someone who would like it as a 
pet or as a curiosity. A tame skunk will draw big 
crowds when placed in a store window for adver- 
tising purposes. Amusement Parks are glad to 
get them. Money can be made by selling tame 
skunks or by operating for other people. 

"What diseases are common to the skunk?" 
They are practically a diseasless animal. True 
they are troubled with lice when kept too closely 
confined and fed too much spoiled meat. Any 
common poultry powder which will destroy poul~ 
try lice will destroy skunk lice. Change dens and 
allow the animal to burrow in gravelly earth. 
Meat diet sometimes causes scurvy. This can be 
avoided by feeding a variety of foods. 

"How do you prevent infection after remov- 
ing the scent sac?" First wash the parts with 
a weak carbolic solution taking care not to allow 
the solution to enter the rectum, or better still 
paint the glands with iodine before operating. 
Rub over the incision a composition of turpentine 
and lard. This will repel flies. 

"What do you do with the young after wean- 
ing?" We allow the female to range, and also the 
young, but in separate pens. Do not make the 
mistake of allowing the young ones to range with 
aged males until they are able to protect them- 
selves from injury. 



INSTRUMENTS 

WITH WHICH TO REMOVE SCENT SACS 



SO many persons have written us to know 
if we handle instruments suitable to 
perform the operation of removing the 
scent sac, that we have consented to 
make a selection. 

The proper instruments are as follows: 
1 nickel plated scalpel (knife). 
1 nickel plated tenaculum (hook). 
1 nickel plated sound probe (probe). 
1 pair nickel plated special extracting forceps. 

1 pair nickel plated automatic clamping forceps. 

2 pair goggles (worn only by beginners as safe- 

guard against scent fluid unexpectedly enter- 
ing the eyes. 

These tools are of a high grade of steel 
and nickel plated to guard against rust. A 
very handy and desirable set of instruments. 
One set (as above) packed securely in box, 
sent by prepaid parcels post for only $3.00. 
The most satisfactory set of instruments on 
the market. Your order solicited. 
References: Exchange Bank of Spencer. 



THE LAYMON FUR FARM CO. 

SPENCER INDIANA 




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WANTED 

500 Live Skunk 



We are in the market for 500 AAA 
skunk, males and females for breeding 
purposes. We pay as high as $15.00 for 
altered, unmaimed stars. Write us what 
you have. 



We also handle skunk pelts, Eastern 
grading, and highest prices paid for 
prime stock. Let your dealer quote, 
then you will understand how much bet- 
ter we can do for you. 



Write first. We pay express charges. 
Reference: Exchange Bank of Spencer. 



The Laymon Fur Farm Co. 

SPENCER INDIANA 



What a big Money King says about 

OPPORTUNITY 



44 yT isn't the want of opportunities, 

I nowadays, for making a man 

wealthy, but it is his recognizing 

an opportunity when he meets it in the 

middle of the road in the middle of th^ 

day." 

He is right. Paste that fact on your 
memory now. I know from experience. 

And if you are a business or profes- 
sional man or woman, or working on a 
salary and desire to increase your earn- 
ing power with the least outlay of cap- 
pital and with the least effort, look this 
skunk proposition squarely in the face. 

And look at it from the viewpoint 
of good common business sense. It is 
a clean, legitimate proposition — a real 
money-making opportunity right **in the 
middle of the road in the middle of the 
day." 



f> Why Not Start p 
• a Skunk Farm • 

WE WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP YOU 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



002 824 027 2 



•I 



